Method of processing garments



July 26, 1955 s $TR|BL|NG 2,713,957

METHOD CF PROCESSING GARMENTS Filed Sept. 27, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. DID/V6) 37/9/15; we

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A TTOIF/VE Y y 26, 1955 s. STRIBLING METHOD OF PROCESSING GARMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 2'7, 1951 R m m m United rates Fatent 2,713,957 Patented July 26, 1955 nice METHOD 9F PRQCESdING GARMENTS Sidney Stribiiug, Asan, Guam, Guam Application September 27, 1951, Serial No. 24$,53

2 Claims. (Cl. 223-73) This invention relates to a machine by means of which to obtain a method of processing garments in the dry cleaning and other garment finishing industries, and more particularly the invention pertains to the processing of a pair of trousers.

Thus, one object of my invention is to simplify the equipment and the method for processing a pair of trousers, whether these have been dry cleaned, wet washed, or only pressed after being worn a few times, or packed away.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for quickly drying a pair of trousers, when they are wet, While at the same time retaining their shape.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heating chamber through which hot air or steam, together or separately, pass immediately before being used in order to secure the desired degree of heat or dryness.

A still further object is to provide means for stretching a pair of trousers in all their dimensions, on a single machine.

An ancillary object is to provide a means and method for topping a pair of trousers.

The operation of topping, meaning pressing around the top or waist of the trousers, has heretofore been performed on an oval shaped topper, or simply at the end of the buck of an ordinary pressing machine, in either instance a cumbersome and lengthy process, some times requiring the operator to shift the garment twenty or more times before the operation would be complete.

This method of handling renders the trousers liable to being marked by the pockets underneath; crumpled at the fly and between the pockets, due to the machine not conforming to the shape of the trousers.

Hitherto the operator, in stretching and shaping a shrunken, or wet-washed pair of trousers, had to do this in a rather haphazard manner by stretching the trousers legs over the buck of the machine and then pulling the waist, lay after lay, over the end of the buck; in neither case, however, was it possible to have any consideration for the original shape of the garment. There are also methods of stretching by inserting sticks down the legs and bowed sticks at the waist. This method obviously conforms the trousers to the shape of the sticks, without regard to their original shape, and it is not unusual to tear the fabric or split the seams by this method.

Another object is to provide a machine which will process a garment through its whole length, or only a desired part thereof, such as the waist of the trousers, including and terminating at the crotch.

Another object of the invention is to provide the operator with a wide range in his selection of temperatures of air, and dryness, and also in the degree of moisture in the steam, by the introduction of a water spray therewith, the water spray being hot or cold.

These objects are accomplished by providing an inflatable porous container, hereinafter referred to as the bag, which is contained within the trousers and then inflated as hereinafter brought out. Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds. In the specification and the accompanying drawing, the invention is disclosed in its preferred form and in the form best suited to the processing of the particular garment, a pair of trousers. However, it is to be understood that it is not limited to this form nor to the processing of this garment, but may be modified in form applicable to other garments as well.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the entire machine.

Figure 2 is an end view of the invention, showing the operation of the clamp, the plate, and the mechanism which operates the clamp, holding it down under pressure and releasing all the clamps at a single motion; the necessary construction for perforation and padding being, of course, made in connection therewith. Figures 3 and 4 are detailed views.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 11 in Fig. 3 indicates a perforated padded plate arranged inside the bag 12; this plate is attached to a stand or frame 13, and has detachably secured to it two trouser legsupporting arms 14 and 15. Hingedly secured to the frame, Fig. l, are perforated padded clamps, namely, the waist band clamp 16, the left pleat clamp 17, and, as shown clearly in Figure 1, the fly clamp 18 and the right pleat clamp 19.

The manner of attaching the clamps to the frame or stand 13 and the manner of holding them down and releasing them are shown in Fig. 2, in which all four clamps swing on the rod bearing 9. The said rod bearing 9 being fixedly secured to the stand or frame 13. The garment is adjusted on the plate 11, and the waist band clamp 16 is clamped in position; similarly the other clamps are secured and held down under pressure by the ratchet arm 26 mounted on a bearing 21 and held in position by the wedge member 22; a light spring 23 is provided to hold the ratchet down; the wedge member 22 of which there are mounted five on a single rod bearing off center, has said bearing provided with a handle 25, as shown in Figure 1, thereby enabling the operator to release all of them in one motion. A downward motion of handle 25 disengages wedge members 22, 22 and 22 from the ratchet members 20, 20 and 20, and being thus disengaged allow lifting of the clamps 16, 1'7, 18 and 19.

When the four clamps are positioned in place the operator then slips the lower part of the waist band under the rigid part 26 of the clamp, as may be seen in Figure 2, to which clamp the spring clamp 27 is secured; this clamp operates on the sliding rod 28; it may remain stationary, or the waist may be stretched by a foot pedal shown at 34 which connects to the lever rod 30. The spring clamp operates as shown in Fig. 4, wherein the jaws 26 and 27 are closed by the spring member 47.

With the clamps in position, the operator may apply steam by the foot pedals 31, air by the foot pedals 32, water spray by the pedals 33, from either end of the garment, and may release them from either end.

With the clamps in position the operator may attend to the cuffs of the trousers, stretch and adjust them as desired, while steam is being applied, then trip off the steam, and trip on the air to blow them dry from either end of the garment, by a second set of pedals not shown in the drawing.

The re-heating chamber 36 is shown in detail in Fig. 3, the said chamber being provided with a cylindrical aperture, or opening 42, into which the outlet of the water spray injector 39 extends; the steam line 37 and the air line 38, entering the sidewall of the heating chamber 36, passing over the heating coil 40, and entering the inflatable porous container 12, via the cylindrical opening or aperture 42, in the side wall of the said heating chamber 36.

The method in which the re-heating chamber and the frame, or stand 13, and the perforated padded plate 11 are secured together are shown in Fig. 3, an extension to said perforated padded plate 11 extending into the cylindrical aperture 42 and is secured centrally therein by the spacer bolts 43; other bolts 43, 43 and 43 secure the frame, or stand 13 and the re-heating chamber 36 together. The said re-heating chamber 36 is provided with a drain line 41, to drain off condensation. Also shown is the inflatable porous container 12, fitted with the zippers 44 and 44 on each side, extending into the neck 45, this neck fitting over the cylindrical aperture 42 and is secured thereto by string 46.

Fig. 4, shows one means of closing the clamp jaws 26 and 27 of Fig. 1, by the round spring member 47.

Steam, air and water spray pass through the heating chamber 36, Figure 3; and the inlets for these into the bag pass through the packing gland 37 and 38.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts, as shown, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not, therefore, wish to limit myself to the exact construction shown and described herein.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a garment processing device employing an inflatable porous container adapted to insertion into the said garment in a collapsed condition and inflatable within the said garment; a perforated padded plate disposed within the said container, bracket means of securing the said plate to a frame and securing the said plate in the horizontal plane, trouser leg supporting arms detachably secured to the said plate; a plurality of perforated padded clamps coaxially mounted on a shaft, the said clamps being individually rotatable on the said shaft, the said shaft being endedly and nonrotatably secured by bracketing means to the said frame, ratchet means of securing the said clamps over the said plate; wedge members coaxially and nonrotatably mounted on a shaft,

the said shaft being endedly and rotatably secured by bracketing means to the said frame, the said clamps being positioned individually on the surface of the said padded plate, held in this position by the said wedge members; a handle provided on the said shaft mounting the said wedge members whereby all clamps are released by a single motion of the said handle; a portion of the said inflatable porous container and a portion of an article of caring apparel interposed between the said perforated padded plate and the said perforated padded clamps.

2. in a device of the class described; a perforated padded plate, bracket means for securing the said plate to a frame and securing the said plate in the horizontal plane, two trouser leg supporting arms detachably secured to the said padded plate, a bag of inflatable porous construction inclosing the said plate and the said trouser leg supporting arms, the said bag in the deflated condition being adapted to receive an article of wearing apparel thereover, throughout the length and girth of the said article of wearing apparel, the said bag provided with a zipper neck closure, a reheating chamber of substantial metal construction secured Within the said frame, the said chamber provided with an aperture of cylindrical form extending outwardly from the said chamber and the said frame, the said zipper neck closure of the said bag inclosing and secured around the said cylindrical aperture and adapted to providing an outlet from the said chamber into the said bag, entering the said chamber an outlet for steam and an outlet for air; a water line entering the said chamber and continuing into the said aperture, the said water line terminating in a water spray injector nozzle.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

